Does your house look tacky? Interior designer reveals the styles that make your space appear dated and unfashionable

An interior design expert has revealed the decor trends that are definitively out for 2025 — including the wildly popular “millennial gray” style.

“We are moving away from plain minimalism and going into some really interesting, colorful texture trends,” Lucy Sutherland, an interior design expert at the furniture retailer Temple and Webster, told the Daily Mail, calling it “a bit of a revolt.”

Rooms that are ultra-coordinated, for one, are no longer trendy.

Sutherland said that the “soulless” interior design fad — involving perfectly curated, matching furniture, art, colors and other decor — is too sterile, almost as if it was “formula-created.”

“We followed the rules of decorating, and we ended up with color combinations that worked perfectly — matching rugs, cushions, artwork, all balanced and pleasing to the eye,” she explained.

“We saw people looking at magazine-perfect homes and thinking, ‘I want that,’” she continued, adding that the homes didn’t look “lived-in.” “But actually, they wanted something with more of them in it.”

While perfect for a showroom, it lacked the personal touch expected in a person’s living space. Now, however, she has seen a growing number of people making more bold design choices for their interiors in colors, patterns and textures.

“It became more about doing what made you happy rather than what was ‘correct,’” she said. “It was about injecting personality into a space.”

That being said, minimalism is also on the outs.

“We had a long period of very modern interior design — simple, uncluttered spaces with clean lines,” Sutherland explained, adding that, now, interior design is “becoming more fun and a way for us to express ourselves.”

Sutherland chalks up the change to the pandemic.

“We spent so much time in our homes, and they became much more personal,” she explained. “We started putting in pieces that we loved – things that reminded us of happier times, like travel and fashion. It felt like a move towards homes that were cosy, comfortable, and a real reflection of who we were.”

She also declared that gray color palettes — jokingly dubbed “millennial gray” by Gen Zers online — look outdated.

“We had a period where we were really into minimalist homes and then moved into the whole Scandi phase,” she said.

“Those soft grays and cool colors were everywhere, but now we were shifting away from that to warmer tones.”

Experts have previously said that the dreary decor style was a rejection of the popular yellow interiors of the ’90s. But, while calming, Sutherland said the grays “weren’t uplifting.”

“I think we’re now much more attuned to what color does to our moods,” she said, predicting that rich colors are set to make a triumphant return.

“We had years and years of cool interiors, but people wanted warmth and connection in their spaces,” she said.

Earthy tones and textures — like olive green, rust and terracotta — are already making a comeback, she said.

“It was really about bringing the colors and textures of nature into our homes,” Sutherland explained. “The key was layering — plush fabrics, linens, rattans, and even cork — to create a cocoon-like atmosphere.”

For those who prefer pink, Sutherland offered “dollhouse chic,” calling the design trend “fun.”

She believes it grew out of the “Barbiecore” craze, which she said “really got us loving playful, ultra-feminine design.”

Another “fun one,” she said, is the “revival of 1970s style.”

“Previously, side tables might have been timber, but now they appeared in deep red tones with high-gloss finishes,” Sutherland said.

“Colored glass also made a comeback — not just in vases and accessories but in side tables, coffee tables, and more.”

But the “biggest” ’70s interior design pieces is “the re-emergence of conversation pits,” otherwise known as the “sunken lounge areas” meant for socializing.

“We also saw fringe details — fringed cushions, tassels, and other textural embellishments that added a playful touch,” she continued, adding that the trend started with the emergence of velvet.

“For people who lived through the ’70s, it might have been an era they never wanted to see again, but now, enough time had passed for it to feel fresh and exciting,” she said.